Thursday, January 29, 2015

The 5 countries that lead the way toward 100% Renewable Energy

Last year (2014) was an exciting year for renewable energy. For example, in December last year, wind turbines alone provided around 1,279 MWh of electricity to the Scottish national grid, enough to supply the electrical needs of 3.96 million homes (164% of households).

Worldwide, around 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind power capacity were built in 2014—up from 74 GW in 2013—and nearly during every month the headlines were filled with record generation in cities and countries across the world.

The latest figures put the country well on track to meet its 2020 goal of getting 50% of its power from renewables.

Denmark has long been a pioneer in wind power, having installed its first turbines in the mid-1970s, and has even more ambitious aims in sight, including a 100% renewable country by 2050. Last year, onshore wind was also declared the cheapest form of energy in the country.

2. UK wind power smashes annual records

In the UK, wind power also smashed records in 2014, as generation rose 15% from 24.5 TWh hours to 28.1 TWh. The country now generates enough wind energy to supply the needs of more than 6.7 million UK households.

A combination of grid-connected wind farms and standalone turbines produced 9.3% of the UK’s electricity demand in 2014, up from 7.8% in 2013 and the latest data follows a string of wind power records announced in the second half of last year.

3. Renewables provide biggest contribution to Germany’s electricity

Renewable energy was the biggest contributor to Germany’s electricity supply in 2014, with nearly 26% of the country’s power generation coming from clean sources.

Electricity output from renewables has grown eightfold in Germany since 1990, and the latest data further highlights the dramatic shift towards clean energy taking place in Europe’s largest economy.

4. Scotland sees “massive year” for renewables

In December last year, wind turbines alone provided around 1,279 MWh of electricity to the national gird, enough to supply the electrical needs of 164% of Scottish households, or 3.96 million homes.

The latest figures further highlight the record year seen for renewables in Scotland, with wind turbines providing an average 746,510 MWh each month—enough to supply 98% of Scottish households electricity needs. Over 6 months of the year, wind generated enough power to supply more than 100% of Scottish households.

5. Ireland hits new record for wind energy

According to figures record by EirGrid on Jan. 7, 2015, wind energy had created 1,942 MW of energy, enough to power more than 1.26 million homes.

And while we are still only a week into 2015, this announcement marked the second time this year the country has seen this record broken. Windy conditions in Ireland meant the country saw not one but two wind energy records set already this year.

The Green Mechanics: Renewable resources as the main sources of energy isn't too far away from matching the finite sources.